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Have you ever wanted to learn all about various economic theories? No? Neither have I! However, when Kersten Kelly asked me to review her debut book, e-co-nom-ics: a simple twist on normalcy, I was drawn to the idea of learning about something that I think is important to understand, in an easy-going way. And given that I'm hosting the Non-Fiction Non-Memoir Reading Challenge this year, I figured it would be a good book to read.

I will say, there were a few times when I felt like I was reading something for a class on basic economics. But it's nothing like a textbook! e-co-nom-ics is easy to read and understand. Kelly presents different economic theories and concepts using everyday examples, helping readers make real connections between the theories and their own experiences. She speaks of inequity aversion, dynamic inconsistency, elastic goods and inelastic goods, and much more. But she relates them to real life situations, making them more accessible to those of us who have…

I can't quite say Good Morning this week since I'm writing this at the end of the day instead of the beginning. I was busy juggling having my daughter home with me and getting in a full day of work, so there was no time for blogging this morning!

I had a decent week in terms of reading but I wasn't nearly as productive with writing as I was hoping. As far as reading goes, I finished Final Approach by Lyle Prouse and published the review for the book tour. I also got Bossypants by Tina Fey from the library for my September book club. I read it in two days!

Lyle Prouse is a former Marine, a husband, a father and a successful pilot at Northwest Airlines. He is also an alcoholic, and in 1990, he became the first commercial pilot arrested, tried and convicted for flying drunk. Final Approach: Northwest Airlines Flight 650 Tragedy and Triumph is Prouse's memoir of his life leading up to and beyond the flight that would change his life in more ways than one.

At the heart of Prouse's story is the flight in which he and his fellow cockpit crew were arrested for flying under the influence of alcohol after partying at a bar only a few hours before boarding. But Prouse only talks briefly of the flight itself. The majority of this memoir is about how he got to that point in his life ~ learning to fly, going to Vietnam and becoming an alcoholic ~ and how he overcame that tragedy, getting sober and moving on with his life.

This is one of the most honest memoirs I have read in a while. Prouse explains what happened in detail and always accept…

Today, I'm featuring a guest post by Lyle Prouse, author of Final Approach: Northwest Airlines Flight 650 Tragedy and Triumph. I will be reviewing his book tomorrow. But now, he shares a bit of his story and a few of his inspirational thoughts.
From The Author’s Mouth
I wrote “Final Approach” for my grandkids and family but had no intention of actually publishing it until a friend read it and strongly encouraged me to do that. The reaction has been surprising and I’ve been taken aback by it.

So much was said about this first-of-a-kind event in which three airline pilots were arrested for flying under the influence and most of it was inaccurate. Reporters and journalists, TV news anchors, and late night comics all had their say and put their own personal twists on things as I sat, watched, listened, and remained mute. I was amazed at reporters I didn’t know who claimed to know what I was thinking as though they had access to my innermost thoughts and how the public seemed to accept,…

When Police Chief Sam Jenkins secures funding through the Patriot Act to investigate all of the citizens who work for the Prospect Police Department, he figures it's easy money and a quick job. But when he and his officers try to piece together the background of Murray McGuire, who has been the office equipment repairman for many years, they find themselves completely stumped. And when Murray turns up dead, they really have their work cut out for them.

In A Leprechaun's Lament, Wayne Zurl brings us back to Prospect, TN. Sam and his department were first introduced in A New Prospect, which I reviewed last year. You don't need to have read that book to enjoy this one. While many of the characters are the same, the story is completely new. This time, Sam finds himself frustrated with a man who seems to have never existed prior to 1975. His past is a complete mystery. And uncovering it takes not only the Prospect Police Department but also the FBI, CIA, British Intelligence S…

Good morning. I hope you've had a great week! I was a bit more productive this past week, so that's good. I managed to finish reading A Leprechaun's Lament by Wayne Zurl. I will be publishing my review tomorrow for the book tour.

My son, who has always been a voracious reader, has not read much this summer. I finally decided to turn him away from the fantasy books he keeps choosing and then never reading. I let him read Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney. He had read all the other books in the series, but I had held off letting him read that one. I finally decided to give it to him and he really liked it.

Currently Reading
I'm now reading Final Approach by Lyle Prouse. That review will be published on Thursday for the book tour, and I'll have a guest post by Prouse …

It's been a while since I reviewed a picture book. We honestly haven't been to the library as much this summer, and my daughter has been wanting to read more early readers. But we made it there last week, and I noticed The Book That Eats People by John Perry on display on top of a shelf. I pointed it out to my daughter, who is 5 1/2, and she flipped through it a bit and decided we should take it home.

Well, I have to admit this book is a bit more graphic and scary than I had expected from a picture book. But it's so much fun! It reminds me of one of my all-time favorite children's books, The Monster at the End of this Book by John Stone, but it's definitely for an older audience. The narrator continuously cautions the reader about the fact that this book eats people. It goes on to describe it eating a boy and a few other people. Just to give you an idea of the graphic nature of the book, here's an excerpt:
Sammy squirmed and wriggled. Sammy squealed and yelled…

When you see a sign that says, "Apple's for sale," what is your reaction? Do you get excited about buying some apples for a good price, or do you freak out and have to restrain yourself from defacing the sign with a huge X mark over that completely inappropriate apostrophe? If the latter, you will absolutely love Eats, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss. If the former, please read this book. You need it!!

As an American reader, I did have some tough times with a few things that are more British in the book. But overall, I could relate to everything Truss said about punctuation. I cannot tell you how much I loathe the misuse of apostrophes, as in the example above. I'm a professional writer and editor, and I can completely understand Truss's passion for punctuation. I'm considering passing this book along to all of the writers in my department ~ and all of the "subject matter experts" who think they're w…

Another week of the Olympics, another week of very little reading and writing. But they are finally over and I can finally get back to my regular routine! Yay!

I did manage to write one review for Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill. It's a big one too. One of my favorite books of all time so you definitely need to check out my review! If you like historical fiction, I highly recommend it.

As far as reading goes, I finished Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynn Truss. I didn't get much else done. I know I will do a lot more this week though!

My son hasn't been reading much these past few weeks. He's finally told me he doesn't want to read the next book in the series he was reading so I'm off to find something new that will interest him. I think I'm going to stick with standalone books rather than series, as he seems to tire of series very quickly. Maybe something funny and lighthearted. Suggestions for late elementary/early middle grade books?

Aminata Diallo was born in Bayo, an African village, in the mid-1700's. There she lived with her loving parents until she was 11 years old. Then her whole world shattered. She was taken away, forced to walk for days across the land, loaded onto a ship, and sold into slavery in America. In 1802, she is in London writing her life story at the request of Abolitionists who feel she can help their cause.

Lawrence Hill brings Aminata to life in Someone Knows My Name (known also as The Book of Negros), telling a story that is at once fascinating and shocking. Her journey captivated me from the start. When she's a child in Bayo, we see how she was brought up in the village, learning her mother's trade and her father's religion. It feels like we are right next to her as she is marched across Africa, experiencing atrocities that are hard to even imagine. And then when she is in America, Hill showed how she became acclimated to the environment, learning the languages and the cul…

Well, I'm back for another recap despite the fact that I didn't manage to post at all this past week. Sorry about that. The Olympics have seriously impacted my reading and my blogging. I promise as soon as they are over, I will get back to writing more. Actually, my plan this week is to finish the book I'm currently reading, and then focus on writing some reviews before I pick up my next book. We'll see how that goes...

I did finally finish Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill. Wow! What an amazing book. I can't believe it sat on my bookshelf for so long! If you have it, read it. Review to come very soon.

I also signed up for Sit Down and Write Write-a-Thon. Hopefully that will give me a chance to get some reviews written later this month! It takes place the week of August 20th. Sign up if you have some writing to do too.

Currently Reading
I'm still reading Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynn Truss and I love it! I think that's mostly because I'm an edi…